Sliding door construction



Feb. 27, 1940. I 2,192,063

G. J. HOPKINS SLIDING DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 15, 19 37 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

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Feb. 27, 1940.

Filed Jan. 15, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I. E a I u C a: nw U M [T I 5]: 7t 1 \s/ fill fl Q N 8 j .|H 6 l 9 L fl INVENTOR.

q'eor'ge J. Haplrins BY Q I m 1% :TZRNEYS.

WITNESSES: b920 6 Patented Feb. 27, 1940 2,192,063 sunme noon CONSTRUCTION George J. Hopkins, Kendallville, Ind., assignor to McCray Refrigerator Company, Kendallville, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application January 15, 1937, Serial No. 120,703

8 Claims.

The instant invention relates to a sliding door construction and more particularly sliding doors of the character especially adapted for use in conjunction with display refrigerator cases.

The primary objects of the present invention are to provide a pair of sliding doors adapted for use in the manner above suggested which may be sealed relative to each other when the doors are slid to their closed position; to provide such a pair of sliding doors which are sealed with respect to each other and with respect to the refrigerator case when the doors are slid to their closed position; and. to provide novel means for efiecting a seal of the character above suggested which is eflicient, utilitarian and economical.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective veiw of the rear side of a display refrigerator case whose sliding doors may be sealed with reference to each other and with respect to the case when they have been slid to closed position;

Figure 2 is an enlarged front elevational view of either of the pair of sliding doors;

Figure 3 is a top elevational view of the door shown in Figure 2;

Figures 4 and 5 are respectively end elevational views of the opposite ends of the doorshown in Figure 2;

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view on line- 6-6 of Figure 1;

Figure '7 is an enlarged front elevational view of the upper right hand corner of one of the sliding doors, certain parts thereof and of the frame therefor being shown in section taken on line I-l of Figure 8, the closed position of the door being indicated by dotted lines in this view;

Figure 8 is a sectional view on line 88 of Figure '7;

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on line 99 of Figure 1;

Figure 10 is an enlarged plan view of the bottom frame guide member for the sliding doors;

Figure 11 is a sectional view thereof on line ll-H of Figure 9;

Figure 12 is an enlarged plan view of the top frame guide member for the sliding doors;

Figure 13 is a sectional view thereof on line Iii-l3 of Figure 14;

Figure 14 is a side elevational view of the frame guide member shown in Figure 12; and

Figure 15 is a fragmentary front elevational view showing the sliding doors of the refrigerator in their closed position.

Referring now to these drawings in which like parts of the structure there shown are designated by the same numerals in the several views,

a refrigerator case In of the display type, whose rear portion thereof is perspectively shown in Figure 1, is provided with a frame portion gen- 5 erally designated H within which are a pair of slidable doors l2, l3. 1

The upper and lower horizontal marginal lengths of the frame are each provided with a pair of spaced parallelly disposed rails or tracks 1% M, l5 and i6, i1 respectively, here shown as fabricated from hard rubber or the like (Figures 11, 13) and secured to the frame in any suitable manner as by rivets it.

Each door 02, i3, here shown as having triple w spaced panes of glass I9, 20, 2| for insulating purposes, is provided with a groove 22 along its horizontal upper marginal length and with a groove 23 along its horizontal lower marginal length, adapting each door I2, l3 to be detachably g fitted into sliding engagement with companion upper and lower rails or tracks It, IS and I6, ii respectively by fitting the upper groove 22 of the doors l2, l3 with the upper rails or tracks M, i5

respectively, and thereafter. dropping each door 25.

with its lower groove 23 into fitting relation with the lower rails or tracks I6, I? respectively.

A compressible element 24, of sponge rubber or the like, is disposed within each of the opposite ends of eachupper groove 22 of the doors 39 I2, I3 which compressible element is adapted to resiliently bear against each of the opposite sides of the groove as best shown in Figure 8. The top surface of each compressible element 24 is preferably protected by a flexible member 25, here 35 shown as a springable metallic strip secured to the doors as by screws 26.

Compressible elements 21, likewise of sponge rubber or the like are also disposed between the horizontally disposed spaced parallel upper rails 4,0

or tracks l8, intermediate the opposite ends of these rails as best shown in Figure 15 and they likewise resilientlybear against each of the opposite sides of the groove formed between the spaced parallel rails as best shown in Figure 8. 45 The outer surface of these compressible elements 21 is also preferably protected by a flexible member 28 of springable metal whose opposite ends are each provided with slotted apertures 29 through which screws 30 are passed for securing 50 these members to the frame of the refrigerator case.

Each upper rail or track M, ii and each lower rail or track l6, I1 is provided with spaced bosses 3| adjacent their respective lengths and along 5r a side surface thereof and each groove 22, 23 of each door is provided with similarly spaced bosses 32 adjacent their respective lengths and along an inside surface thereof as best shown in Figures 9-11 inclusive, whereby sliding of the doors l2, l3 to extreme opposite or closed positions causes the groove bosses 32 to register with and to be engaged by companion pairs of rail bosses w the interior of the refrigerator case is well sealed against infiltration of outside warm air by means of the (1) engaging registering bosses 3|,- 32 of the door grooves and frame rails, (2) cammed surfaces 33, 34 of the doors, and (3) by the resiliency of the compressible elements 24, 21 whose protecting members 25, 28 are caused to flex under said resiliency and to respectively bear against the rails l4 and the upper inner edges of the doors [2, l3.

While but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood'that certain details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

, I claim:

1. A frame having a rail disposed adjacent its upper and lower marginal lengths and a sliding door for said frame having a groove along its upper and lower marginal lengths in respective fitted relation with an upper and lower rail, each rail having a pair of spaced bosses adjacent their respective lengths and each groove having a pair of spaced bosses adjacent their respective lengths, the pairs of groove bosses being adapted to register with and to be engaged by the companion pairs of rail bosses when the door is slid to one position.

2. A frame having pairs of spaced rails disposed in parallelism adjacent both its upper and lower marginal lengths and a pair of sliding doors for said frame each having a groove along its upper and lower marginal lengths in respective fitted relation with companion upper and lower rails, each rail having a pair of spaced bosses adjacent their respective lengths and each groove having a pair of spaced bosses adjacent their respective lengths, the pairs of groove bosses being adapted to register with and to be engaged by the companion pairs of rail bosses when the doors are slid to extreme opposite positions.

3. A frame having a rail "disposed adjacent its upper and lower marginal lengths and a sliding door for said frame having a groove along its upper and lower marginal lengths in respective fitted relation with an upper and lower rail, each rail having a pair of spaced bosses adjacent their respective lengths and each groove having a pair of spaced bosses adjacent their respective lengths, the pairs of groove bosses being adapted to register with and to be engaged by the companion pairs of railbosses when the door is slid to one position, and a compressible element disposed within the upper groove of the door at the oppo site ends of the groove adapted to resiliently bear against each of the opposite sides of the groove.

4. A frame having a rail disposed adjacent its upper and lower marginal lengthsand a sliding door for said frame having a 'groove along its upper and lower marginal lengths in respective fitted relation with an upper and lower rail, each rail having a pair of spaced bosses adjacent their respective lengths and each groove having a pair of spaced bosses adjacent their respective lengths, the pairs of groove bosses being adapted to register with and to be engaged by the companion pairs of rail bosses when the door is slid to'one position, a compressible element disposed-within the upper groove of the door at the opposite ends of the groove adapted to resiliently bear against each of the opposite sides of the groove, and a flexible protecting member disposed over each of said compressible elements.

5. A frame'having pairs of spaced rails disposed in parallelism adjacent both its upper and lower marginal lengths and a pair of sliding doors for said frame each having a groove along its upper and lower marginal lengths in respective respective lengths, the pairs of groove bosses being adapted to register with and to be engaged by the companion pairs of rail bosses when the doors are slid to extreme opposite positions, and a compressible element disposed within' each of the opposite ends of the upper groove of each door adapted to resiliently bear against each of the opposite sides of each upper groove,

6. A frame having pairs of spaced rails disposed in parallelism adjacent both its upper and lower marginal lengths and a pair of sliding doors for said frame each having a groove along its upper and lower marginal lengths in respective fitted relation with companion upper and lower rails, each rail having a pair of spaced bosses adjacent their respective lengths and each groove having a pair of spaced bosses adjacent their respective lengths, the pairs of groove bosses being adapted to register with and to be engaged by the companion pairs of rail bosses when the doors are slid to extreme opposite positions, a compressible element disposed within each of the opposite ends of the upper groove of each door adapted to resiliently bear against each of r the opposite sides of each upper groove, and a flexible protecting member disposed over each of said compressible elements.

'7. A frame having pairs of spaced rails disposed in parallelism adjacent both its upper and lower marginal lengths and a pair of sliding doors for said frame each having a groove along its upper and lower marginal lengths in respective fitted relation with companion upper and lower rails, each rail having a pair of spaced bosses :opposite sides of each upper groove, and a compressible element disposed between the pair of upper rails intermediate the opposite ends of the frame length) adapted to resiliently bear against each of the opposite sides 01' the groove formed between the spaced parallel rails.

8. A frame having pairs oi. spaced rails disposed in parallelism adjacent both its upper and lower marginal lengths and a pair of sliding doors for said frame each having a groove along its upper and lower marginal lengths in respective fitted relation with companion upper and lower rails, each rail having a pair of spaced bosses adjacent their respective lengths and each groove having a pair of spaced bosses adjacent their respective lengths, the pairs of groove bosses being adapted to register with and to be engaged by the companion pairs of rail bosses when the doors are slid to extreme opposite positions, a compressible element disposed within each of the opposite ends of the upper groove of each .door adapted to resiliently bear against each of the opposite sides of each upper groove, a compressible element disposed between the pair of upper rails intermediate the opposite ends of the frame length adapted to resiliently bear against each of the opposite sides of the groove formed between the spaced parallel rails, and a flexible protecting member disposed over each of said compressible elements.

GEORGE J. HOPKINS. 

